Cleat for electric wiring.



R. MOLENNAN.

GLEAT FOB ELEGTRIG WIMHG. APPLIOATION rILnn !1213.18.1908.

91 1,429, A Patented Feb. 2, 1909.

W/TNESSES INVE/VTOH I fladerz'ckfllennanz #tam By .4 TTORNE Y S RODERIGK MCLENNAN, OF BALLSTON SPA, NEW YORK.

CLEAT FOR ELECTRI'C WIRING.

Application filed February 18, 1908.

To all 'whom it may concem:

Be it known that I, RODERIGK MCLENNAN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Ballston Spa, in the county of Saratoga and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Cleat for Electric Wiring, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to certain improvements in cleats for electric wiring, and more particularly to cleats for securing a plurality of substantially parallel wires to a wall or ceiling at a bend or turn in the wires, as, for instance, at a corner of the room.

As is well known, if an insulated electric wire is bent at a sharp angle there is a liability of breaking or weakening the insulation, and also if the wire is repeatedly bent at a sharp angle at the same point, the wire may be very readily broken.

The object of my inventiomi to provide a cleat for use at a bend or angle in the wires, for limiting or controllin the positions of the wires andpreventing t ie latter from being bent at sharp angles.

A further object is to provide a simple form of cleat to take the place of the two cleats commonly employed and reduce the work required in securing the wires in place.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, formin a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in both the figures, and in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of the two members dgoing to make up my improved cleat; an Fig. 2 is a plan view of the cleat showing the position of the wires in respect thereto.

My improved cleat is made up of two members, one, a base member 10, and the other, a cap or cover member 11, the two being somewhat similar in Construction. The base member 10 has a central portion 12 and two diverpent arms or branches 13 extending outward y therefrom in the same plane but at an angle to each other. The ca or cover 11 is very similar to the base mem er and is provided with a central or body portion 14 and two divergent branches or arms 15. The cleat is provided with a lurality of screw holes extending through both members for securing the members together and securing the cleat to the wall or ceiling. There is preferably provided a screw hole 16 adj acent Specificaton of Letters Patenta.

Patented Feb. 2, 1909.

Serial No. &16,460.

the onter end of each of the arms or branches,

and a third screw hole 17 in the body portion arms or b'anches adjacent their outer ends,

the grooves in the two arms of each member preferably lying in the arc of the same circle, the center of which is adjacent the central body portion which connects together the two arms or branches at their intersecton. A third groove 19 is !provided in the body portion, and this groove preferably lies n the arc of a circle concentric with the circle above referred to. If the cleat is designed for use in securin more than two wires n position, additiona grooves may be provided in the engaging faces of the members and concentric with the grooves above referred to. The grooves are preferably provided with corrugations, as shown, in order that a firm hold may be had upon the wires.

In using my improved cleat, the members are assembled with the wires disposed in the grooves, and the two members are Secured to ether and to the wall or ceiling by suitab e screws entering through screw-holes, as indicated in Fig. 2. The inner wire A, that is, the one turning at the shortest angle, is held within the groove 19, which latter insures the bending of the wire in a particular curve and positively prevents its being bent at a sharp angle. The grooves 18 receive the outer wire B, and the curvature of these grooves causes the wire to assume a position along a curve substantially concentric with the curve of the groove 19. This also prevents the wire from bending at a sharp angle.

Heretofore it has been customary to employ two cleats corresponding in some respects to the two arms or branches of my improved cleat, but these two cleats had to be placed in position separately; a greater number of screws or other fastening means had to be employed, and the wire was often bent at a sharp angle between the cleats, so as to injure the insulation or weaken the wire.

I desire it to be understood that the grooves in the base member 10 may be located either inward or outward of the screw holes, as may be cleemed desirable in practice.

Having thus described my invention, I

claim s new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A cleat for securing in position an electric wire adjacent a bend or curve in the letter, comprising a base and a cup disposed in (Flames parallel to the plane of the Wire, an each having two branches or arms extending at an ungle to each other, the engaging faces of said base and cp having 10 oppostely-disposed grooves for the reception of the wre.

2. A cient for securing in position electric Wires adjacent bende or curves in the letter, comprising a base and a cap dis osed in 15 planes arallel to the planes of t e Wi'es and each having two branches or arms extendin at an angle to each other and adapted to hol the Wres therebetween, said Wires being held in oppositely-dis osed grooves in the engagng faces of said ace and cap and adjacent the bends or curves in the Wires, said grooves being disposed in arcs of concentrc circles.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

RODERICK MCLENNAN.

Wtnesses:

MARGARET A. CONIFF, VVILLIAM H. SHERMAN. 

